Pleasure-railway structure



' Mar. 20, 1923.

1,448,763 J. A. MILLER PLEASURE RAILWAY STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 7', 1922 2 sheets-sheet 1 may. 20; 1923. 1,448,763

J. A. MILLER PLEASURE RAILWAY STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 7, 1922 2 sheets-sheet? Patented Mar. 2%), i923.

earner Jornv A. manna, or norrrnwoon, ILLINOIS.

PLEASURE-RAILWAY STRUCTURE.

Application filed December 7, 1922. Serial No. 605,345.

To all will/77L it may con/rem.

Be it known that it, Join: A. Mimnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of l'lomewood, in the county of look and State of illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pleasure-Rail way fiitrimtures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pleasure railway structures and the object is to provide improved track construction and safety arrangement for permitting the use of abrupt dips and summits and short curves and for assuring safe travel of the cars on the track. More in detail one inmortant object of the invention is to provide improved track con struction which will. enable the rail struc tures to be more quickly and accurately aligned and which will give such structures the required flexibility particularly at dips and curves. Another important object is to provide improved attachments veach in the form of a single wheel or roller for engaging both horizontally and vertically with the rail structure to prevent the car from leaving the rail structure vertically or laterally.

The various features of my invent-ion are incorporated in the construction shown on the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of a car together with the track structure,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a tie beam with the fillet blocks thereon, and

big. t is a cross sectional view of the rail structure showing a modified arrangement.

On the drawing 10 represents the trestle or supporting framework for the railway structure and 1.1 represents the tie beams which are supported. on such framework and which in turn support the rail structures r and r of the track on which the pleasure vehicles 0) travel. Before applying the tie beams to the supporting framework I secure to each beam fillet blocks 12 and 12 preferably by means of bolts 13, these blocks being accurately spaced in accordance with the gauge and curvature of the track at the points where the beams are to be used. The beams are then applied on the supporting trestle 10 and secured thereto in any desired manner. At the ends of the beams board walks 14c and 15 are applied for the workmen who can then readily assemble the rail structures Having determined. the gauge by means of the fillet blocks 12 and 12 the rail structures can be accurately built up. in the arrangement of Fig. 1 each rail structure comprises tiers of beams 16 and 17 at the opposite sides of the fillet blocks, and these beams can be readily secured by means of bolts 18 passing therethrough and through the tie beams, and on top of the tiers are supported the planks or beams 19 either on edge, or flat as shown. The planks or beams 19 are secured to the tiers by separate bolts or by the same bolts 18 which secure the tier beams to the tie beams. The building up of the tiers l6 and 17 and the planks 19 aroiuul the fillet block 12 affords very strong and rigid yet sufficiently flexible rail structures whose gauge is fixed and maintained by the fillet blocks which are securely bolted to the tie beams. On top of the rail structures are secured the flatrail bars QOfor the vehicle.

Describing now the vehicle safety appliances and their cooperation with the rail structures, the vehicle. 0) shown comprises the longitudinal supporting beams 21, the cross beams 22, the floor 23 and the seat structures 5. At the corners of the vehicle the cross beams 22 project to support angle fittings 24forjournaling the axles 25 of the respectivevehiclewheels 26, the wheels engaging the flat rails 20. ()ver the wheels extend the guard or fender boards 27. Associated witheach vehcle wheel is a guide or safety wheel 28. For each guide wheel a supporting bracket structure 29 is provided secured to the vehicle framework, the, guide wheel being journaled on avertical shaft or axle 30 supported in the bracket .and each guide wheel extends laterally outwardly to engage with the adjacent rail structures.

(in therail structures the rail plates or bars 21 are secured in position to be engaged by the peripheral surfaces of the guide wheels, such engagement serving to limit thelateral movements of the vehicle and prevent the vehicle wheels from leaving their rails 20 laterally.

The guide wheels serve also to limitv the vertical play of the vehicle relative to the Jail structure. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 the top planks 19 are extended inwardly a distance to overhang and to form the abutment or under rail shoulders 82 over the peripheral section of the guide wheels. The shoulders are faced with the rail plates or bars 33 which are engaged by the upper of said vehicle 'during'travel.

'vehiclewillbe inclined, but such inclination is restricted by theengagem'ent of the guide wheels withthe overhanging rail bars 33 and the rounded corners of the wheels will prevent cutting ofthe' bars by the wheels.

lVhen a vehicle is traveling at very great speed and the guide wheels are engaging with the rail barsthey will be unable to keep up rotation and will consequently slide along the rail bars'and the consequent friction will serve to brake thevehiole. i Y

' Instead of having the rail structure top beams 19 overhang as shown in Fig. 1 the arrangement shown in Fig. Al couldbe used which anglebars 35 are securedto the rail structures "With this modified arrangement the guide wheels will engage with the vertical and horizontal ,fianges of the angle ,liea'ms the vehicle travels around curves ja'nd over dips and summits and the vehicle wheels will be kept to their'rails 20 with just suflicient play to permit the vehicle to travel smoothly and without su ddenjerks and jolts. The vehicle can thus travel at verygreat curves with perfect s'afety tO the vehicle occupants. Y

Having ,th11s, clescribed my invention, I clairn as follows: l

'li'In a pleasure railway structure, the combination" of a vehicle having supporting wheels, 'horizontalguide wheels on said vehic le, rail structures having upper rail sur faces forthejveliicle wheels and having side and under rail surfaces for sald horizontal rui de wheels, cooperation of said guide 'wheels with saldslde andunder rail surfaces preventing lateral and vertical displacement 2. In ,pleasure railway structure, the

combination" of rail structures having upper ir'a l' surfaces' and having also side rail surfacesnnd under rall surfaces, Wheels for said w eele en ing w th i r p ra surfaces, and horizontal guide wheels journaled on said vehicle tor cooperating with said vertical and under rail surfaces to preventnndue vertical and lateral displacement or said vehicle when traveling over said rail structure.

3. In a pleasure railway structure, the combination with .rail structures having upper rail bars thereon, a vehicle having wheels for engaging with said upper rail bars, vertical rail bars on the inner sides of said rail structures, under rail bars onsaid rail structures above said vertical rail bars. and horizontal guide wheels journalcd on said vehicle for engaging the respective vertical rail bars with their cylindrical surfaces and for engaging with their upper sides against the respective under rail bars to pre vent undue lateral and vertical displacement of said vehicle while traveling on said upper rail bars.

4. In a pleasure railway structure, the combination of rail structures having upper rail surfaces, a vehicle and under rail surfaces on the inner sides of said rail structures, and horizontal guide wheels journaled on said vehicle for engaging at theirperipheries with said vertical and under rail sur-- faces to limit the lateral and vertical play of said vehicle when traveling over said upper rail surface.

5. In a pleasure railway structure, the combination of rail. structures having upper rail bars thereon, a vehicle having support ing wheels for engaging with said upp'er rail bars, vertic'aland under rail bars on the inner sides of said rail structures, horizontal guide wheels journaled on said vehicle and located to engage at their peripheries with said vertical and under rail bars to limit the vertical and lateral displacement of saidvehicle with reference to said-rail structures, said guide wheels-being transversely round ed at their peripheries.

6. In a pleasure railway structure, the combination with tie beams, of spacing blocks secured thereto, and rail structures built up around said blocks and secured to said tie beams.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day of November A. 1)..

JOHNJLNQLLER 

